One thing Johnny Cueto wasn't able to do in the offseason was practice his English. 'In the Dominican, nobody speaks English,' he said. The Enquirer/Gary Landers

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As reporters came to his locker on Friday, Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto listened intently to each question, pondering not just the questions, but his answer - and then how to say it in a different language.

Cueto, 28, is entering his seventh year in the big leagues and his ninth season in the United States. In the past, he has relied sometimes on interpreters to speak to a large group of media members, sometimes trainer Tomas Vera, sometimes former bullpen coach Porky Lopez and sometimes teammates. The last couple of years, Cueto has been fine talking to reporters in English individually, but ...